The present invention is directed to an apparatus for helping to protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a vehicle collision, and is particularly directed to a vehicle steering wheel having one or more inflatable devices for helping to protect a vehicle occupant in a vehicle collision.
It is known to mount an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, such as an air bag module, on a vehicle steering wheel to help protect a vehicle driver from injury in the event of a vehicle collision. The air bag module typically includes an inflatable air bag and an air bag inflator that are secured to a centrally located hub portion of the steering wheel. Efforts are constantly being made to reduce the size of the air bag module in order to make the air bag module less obtrusive.
It is also known that a driver-side air bag module can be less effective at helping to protect a vehicle driver in a vehicle collision when the driver is not seated properly, e.g., leaning forward, in the driver seat. Various methods, such as pretensioning of a driver""s seat belt, are known for helping to reposition a so-called xe2x80x9cout-of-positionxe2x80x9d driver prior to deployment of a driver-side air bag in order to improve the effectiveness of the air bag in helping to protect the driver.
The present invention is an apparatus for helping to protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a vehicle collision. The apparatus comprises a steering wheel including a steering wheel armature. The steering wheel armature has a centrally located hub portion, a circumferentially extending rim portion, and at least one spoke extending between the rim portion and the hub portion. At least one inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is mounted on the steering wheel armature. An actuatable inflator, when actuated, inflates the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device. The inflator forms at least a portion of the spoke of the steering wheel armature.
The rim portion of the steering wheel armature is hollow and is in fluid communication with the inflator mounted in the at least one spoke. The rim portion includes a plurality of fluid exit openings.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the steering wheel includes an expandable material covering portions of the rim portion. The fluid exit openings are located in the portions of the rim portion covered by the expandable material. The expandable material on the rim portion forms a first inflatable vehicle occupant protection device. The expandable material on the rim portion further forms a second inflatable vehicle occupant protection device diametrically opposed to the first inflatable vehicle occupant protection device on the rim portion.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device includes an air bag mounted to the hub portion of the steering wheel armature. The hub portion of the steering wheel armature includes fluid passages for directing inflation fluid from the inflator into the air bag. The steering wheel includes an expandable material covering portions of the rim portion. The fluid exit openings are located in the portions of the rim portion covered by the expandable material. The expandable material on the rim portion forms second and third inflatable vehicle occupant protection devices.
In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device comprises diametrically opposed first and second air bags located on the rim portion of the steering wheel armature.